On the outskirts of the Star Luo Empire's imperial capital.
Inside the Zhu Clan's main hall.
An elegant woman sat in the seat of honor, her deep gaze fixed on a little girl before her as she said calmly, "Do you understand?"
Hearing the woman's words, the little girl fell silent for a moment before looking unwillingly at the elegant woman before her.
"Mother, isn't it enough for me alone? Why does my younger sister have to marry into the family too?" The girl's tone was full of confusion and doubt. She could not understand why her mother wanted her younger sister to marry into the imperial Dai Clan as well.
"Zhuyun, the Zhu Clan and the Dai Clan have always been closely connected. Since ancient times, there has been a tradition of marriage alliances between us. You and Zhuqing are my daughters, so you are naturally destined to marry princes of the imperial Dai Clan in this life—and you may only marry princes of the imperial Dai Clan. This is the fate of the Zhu Clan."
That was right. The elegant woman speaking was Zhu Yeqing, head of the Zhu Clan and the imperial empress—Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Zhuyun's biological mother.
Zhu Zhuyun could not understand why the Zhu Clan had to form marriage alliances with the imperial family. Though it was called fate, marrying someone she had never even met...
Not only was there no emotional foundation between them, but her younger sister had to be dragged into it as well. She was deeply unwilling.
In Zhu Zhuyun's heart, aside from the mother before her, her younger sister Zhu Zhuqing was everything to her. Yet she had no choice but to obey her mother's words.
"Zhuyun, I know this is painful for you, but this is the Zhu Clan's fate. If we do not inherit this fate, then there will be no reason for the Zhu Clan to exist. We would lose everything we have now, and in the end, we might even become slaves of the Dai Clan. The Zhu Clan we have today was built by generation after generation of our ancestors. I cannot let the Zhu Clan be destroyed in my hands."
"As the elder sister, I hope you can shoulder the responsibility you are meant to bear. Do you understand?"
Zhu Zhuyun fell silent. She was ten years old, three years older than Zhu Zhuqing. As the elder sister, she was the prime candidate to inherit the position of the next Zhu Clan head. She understood just how cruel competition within the imperial family was, which was why she did not want her younger sister involved.
At that moment, she hated the imperial family to the core. She hated Dai Lumao, the Star Luo Emperor, and she hated Dai Mubai. If the imperial family had only one prince, she could have shouldered everything herself and allowed her younger sister to choose her own life.
But reality made her understand one thing: if they truly married into the Dai Clan, then according to the imperial family's rules, only one of her and Zhu Zhuqing could survive.
But whenever Zhu Zhuyun thought of her gentle-natured younger sister, she could not bear it. She remembered that her mother's younger sister had been killed by their mother's own hand...
So she made a decision. She could not let her younger sister wait here to die!
"I understand, Mother. Then Zhuyun will take her leave first."
After Zhu Yeqing nodded, Zhu Zhuyun left the main hall. Once outside, she headed straight for Zhu Zhuqing's backyard garden.
At that moment, Zhu Zhuqing was lying on a swing. When she saw Zhu Zhuyun, a bright, delighted smile immediately appeared on her little face.
"Big Sister, you're here! Zhuqing missed you so much."
As she spoke, Zhu Zhuqing ran toward Zhu Zhuyun. Yet her sister, who had always been so gentle with her, did not gather her into her arms as usual. Instead, she shoved Zhu Zhuqing away with blunt force.
"Ow!"
Zhu Zhuqing landed hard on her bottom. Rubbing the spot that hurt from the fall, she looked at Zhu Zhuyun aggrievedly and said, "Big Sister, you hurt Zhuqing."
Seeing this, Zhu Zhuyun's heart twisted in pain, but she had no choice but to do this. Taking a deep breath, she said coldly, "From today onward, I am no longer your sister. More accurately, I never considered you my younger sister."
Hearing Zhu Zhuyun's heartless tone and seeing the coldness in her eyes, Zhu Zhuqing could hardly believe it. She could not believe that the sister who had always doted on her would say such things.
"Big Sister, you're joking with Zhuqing, right? But this joke isn't funny at all." Zhu Zhuqing's eyes reddened, making Zhu Zhuyun's heart ache unbearably.
"Heh, you're too naive, little sister. From the moment you were born, I never considered you my younger sister. I even wished you would die. Do you know why? Without you, I could have become the next empress of the empire without any obstacles, as well as the heir to the Zhu Clan head."
"But then you were born, which meant I was no longer the only one. So I hated you. I wanted you dead. But because of the imperial family's rules, I could not kill you directly. That was why I treated you well, doted on you in every way, and played the role of the sister in your heart all this time! The purpose was to test your potential. And now, I have my answer. You are no threat to me at all!"
At that moment, Zhu Zhuyun's face was twisted with viciousness, leaving Zhu Zhuqing's little face filled with disbelief and fear.
Zhu Zhuyun stepped toward Zhu Zhuqing one step at a time and said coldly, "So I no longer plan to play the sister in your heart! My foolish little sister!"
In an instant, Zhu Zhuyun's hand clamped around Zhu Zhuqing's throat. Slowly, she lifted Zhu Zhuqing entirely off the ground. Ten-year-old Zhu Zhuqing was already a level nineteen Spirit Master. Dealing with a little girl who had awakened her Martial Soul less than two years ago was far too easy.
Disbelief still filled Zhu Zhuqing's eyes. Only when breathing gradually became difficult and her vision blurred did she understand that the sister who had once doted on her truly wanted to kill her!
Her struggling gradually weakened. At that moment, she cried. She was heartbroken beyond measure. The sister she had loved most, the sister who had supposedly loved her most—it had all been false...
A trace of reluctance flashed through Zhu Zhuyun's eyes. She did not want to do this either, but if she did not, her beloved younger sister could only wait to die!
The next second, she released her hand. Zhu Zhuqing fell heavily to the ground, coughing with a pale face. Zhu Zhuyun said coldly, "Giving up just like that? How boring. The current you has no value worth killing. Heh!"
Leaving behind a disdainful look, Zhu Zhuyun turned and walked away. Just as she was about to step out through the gate, Zhu Zhuyun turned back once more and spoke coldly.
"Does it hurt? Can't believe it? But this is reality!"
"My foolish little sister, hate me. Loathe me. Then live on with the determination to kill me, until the day you are qualified to stand before me! When that day comes, I will kill you with my own hands!"
"Just like Mother killed her younger sister with her own hands!"
As her words fell, Zhu Zhuyun's figure disappeared through the gate. At that moment, Zhu Zhuqing could no longer hold herself together. Tears streamed endlessly down her face. She did not know what she was crying about, nor did she know why she was crying.
At that moment, she only knew that she could not stop the tears...
Outside the gate, Zhu Zhuyun listened to Zhu Zhuqing's sobs as tears also fell uncontrollably from her eyes. An utterly ordinary gate had, at that moment, become like a bottomless abyss, separating the two of them.
"Little sister, grow strong with this hatred!"
Before you continue